Ep. 2: London, May 1916

Matinee Idyll

New member
Well, here it is - My favourite episode of the series, and one of the greatest hours of television I've had the pleasure of seeing. Perfectly balanced between the personal and the historical, deeply moving, informative, this my friends is what all television should be like.

The romance between Vicky and Indy is utterly believable, captivating, pure - gaw, I saw this when I was about 12, and rather than be disgusted by 'love' as all young kiddies are, I was spellbound. Completely overwhelmed by the beauty of it all. I knew then this program was something very special.

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I'd love to mention the music in this episode, because it's so good and there's a clip over at Innermind. This is from the 'Proposal/Reunion' scene, with echoes of Holsts "Jupiter", I find it a devastatingly emotional piece.

Here's a Real Audio of it, wow.
http://www.innermind.com/youngindy/sounds/music/yi02_19.ra

Best scenes? The language duel obviously (clip here: http://www.innermind.com/youngindy/sounds/quotes/yi_q05.ra ), the Zeppelin attack is menacing, the Proposal scene is so powerful, I love the romance scenes in the countryside - so beautiful. Hell, I love the whole thing, not a wasted second of tape.

Elizabeth Hurley gives the best performance of her career, really embodying this strong minded, loving, beautiful woman. Vanessa Redgrave is perfect in her cameo, conjures up horrifying images of the plight of the Sufragette movement. Very moving. Can you freakin' BELIEVE this is a childrens show!? Dealing with these issues? Wonderful.

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Anyone else seen this fantastic piece of television?
 

Niteshade007

New member
No, but I am curious as to what happens. I would assume Elizabeth Hurley's character dies, since she is absent from the Indy movies.
 

Matinee Idyll

New member
Niteshade007 said:
No, but I am curious as to what happens. I would assume Elizabeth Hurley's character dies, since she is absent from the Indy movies.

Well, I don't want to spoil it... but I'm curious if it will have the emotional resolution without the Old Indy bookends (quite important they are).
 
Matinee Idyll said:
Well, I don't want to spoil it... but I'm curious if it will have the emotional resolution without the Old Indy bookends (quite important they are).

I don't see how it possibly could... The bookends really made this episode for me as they tied to together so nicely.
 

Violet

Moderator Emeritus
I have had the good fortune of seeing this episode. I borrowed it from a video store years ago and had the stupidity not to copy it because I was more interested in action than an Indy love story. Still am, but can sit still for a love story for a little while....

oh, who am I kidding... I can't sit still... Love stories still irritate.
 

Bullwhip

New member
I've seen the first season with the Old Indy bookends, but will be able to watch the whole series as the BBC versions relatively soon (basically the vhs releases and unreleases) and I'm curious as well to see how this one is handled without the bookends.

From what I've seen so far, though, I can't think of a single season 1 episode I didn't like.

Nice topics btw.
 

Matinee Idyll

New member
Don't worry Violet, this episode is sure to appeal to the romantic in you next time you see it ;)

Thanks Bullwhip - I'm starting to realise just how vital Old Indy was in the storytelling arc. I mean, I always loved him, but for so many of the episodes he was integral. Placed everything into a historical and personal context - and many of the episodes dramatic conclusions (this one included) belonged in the Old Indy section. Without him, so many of the Adventures felt incomplete.

And I don't understand the big issue about the episodes being screened out of chronological order. I preferred it that way. It was truly like the reminiscing of an old man... something in the present triggers a certain memory in the past. It was random, and was really fun as a viewer to put the 'jigsaw' of Indys life together.

I wonder what the bridging footage between Ireland and England will be. Probably only a couple of shots of Indy on the boat, they're actually two episodes that splice together quite easily. Ireland ends with them getting on the boat, England begins with their arrival.

Still, I want Old Indy - he was so good :(

* sigh *

HOW FLIPPIN' GORGEOUS IS LIZ IN THOSE PICTURES! :)
 

Violet

Moderator Emeritus
Yeah, I love Old Indy. I could so see Indy becoming him! He was so cheeky and at the same time, so wise... Sounds like a euology doesn't it? Anyway, it will be interesting to see what happens with these DVDs. I'm hoping they include the Old Indy stuff as a bonus in the Special Features menu or maybe you get an option as to whether you can get the episode with Old Indy in it version like whether you can choose Director's cuts or theatrical version on Special Edition DVDs.
 

Bullwhip

New member
I'm not holding my breath for Old Indy bonus segments. Unfortunately, once Lucas decides to retroactively wipe something out from one of his babies, it almost always seems to stay gone. But I'm willing to be pleasantly surprised. We should barrage Lucasfilm like the pre-Special Edition Star Wars fans did.
 

Grizzlor

Well-known member
Bullwhip said:
I'm not holding my breath for Old Indy bonus segments. Unfortunately, once Lucas decides to retroactively wipe something out from one of his babies, it almost always seems to stay gone. But I'm willing to be pleasantly surprised. We should barrage Lucasfilm like the pre-Special Edition Star Wars fans did.

I agree, although the difference there was that 20th Century Fox heard about it and wanted the extra cash. What was released though was pretty poor, an old Laser disc version with no extras. Lucas is out in left field. I think most people would rather have the George Hall segments and scripts or script notes of the unproduced Young Indy episodes, than 100 hours of historical documentaries??? I still can't believe that one. Geez, who cares about the historical docs?
 

IkoJones

New member
Grizzlor said:
Geez, who cares about the historical docs?

Well, I do.

I believe those docs are going to be a replacement for the old man, who, in my opinion, was there only to explain things for those who don't understand that fast :sleep: I don't want to touch anybody, it's just my point of view.

:hat:
 

bucketmonkey

New member
Matinee Idyll, I have been lurking on this site for many years, but your post led me to finally register. This episode was one of my favorites and is the one that I use to convert others to the fold. It was perfect.

~Steven
 

Adamwankenobi

New member
Bullwhip said:
We should barrage Lucasfilm like the pre-Special Edition Star Wars fans did.

Well, at least we wouldn't have to worry about the episodes being non-anamorphic, given that the series was shot in a 1.33:1 aspect ratio. :rolleyes:
 
One of my favorite episodes this. Hits me every time, I've had the good fortune of seeing the new version on the BBC a couple of years ago. I didn't know what I was missing, so it still pretty much had its emotional effect, as it is now it follows the Ireland episode, with some linking material on the boat to London which goes something like this:

Remy and Indy are on the deck of some ferry, Indy, apparently having completely forgetting the events of the Easter Rising he witnessed the day before starts moaning about Molly, and how he thought he loved her. Remy tells him not to mix Love and Business, before spying two girls glancing their way..

Indy: I thought you said not to mix Love and Business!!

Remy: The Boat will dock in half an hour, pick Rose Buds will lie as they may (or something, as this sounds something like, Rose Bud they hig bri they lay, and is one of the most quoteable Reny lines in the whole series, well among my friends anyway. Gets me Every time)

And thats it, cut to Indy and Remy coming down those steps next the big Ben, sans the Narration

It works, but its painfully obvious, and a pretty crude way of trying to make the two episodes have something in common
 

Flannery10

New member
Jeremiah Jones said:
It works, but its painfully obvious, and a pretty crude way of trying to make the two episodes have something in common

I guess you're right although I have only seen Phantom Train of Doom and Treasure of the Peakock's Eye and those were already cut together without the Old Indy bookends. Old Indy is a great loss, because he always explained things so great and the bookends usually were either funny (See Curse of the Jackal or Princeton, Spring 1916) or very emotional (London, 1916). I think he was a great character and I really think it was a crime to cut him out. Perhaps Lucas will release the Young Indy episodes with the bookends again, just as he did with Star Wars. Let's hope!!
 
I dunno, it took so long for him to release them on DVD in the first place, with Star Wars there was the extra incentive of it buying him a new villa, with Young Indy unfortunately he just wouldn't profit from it. To be honest, my familiarity is more with the reedited versions, I haven't seen the originals since they were first on way back in 94, other then the stuff on Youtube, I've taped and watched the edits hundreds of times, so they're kinda my frame of reference. Its still a great show though. Old Indy is great, but you can kinda see how it might have alienated more casual viewers, that and the non chronological way it was shown. When you see them all in a row, you can really see the journey Indy is on, and how he grows and progresses. Theres sorta a character arc right through the series which was probably lost when they were shown out of sequence. I think thats one of the things Lucas was trying to fix with the reedits.
 

Flannery10

New member
Probably and I completely agree with you on the chronological aspects even though I liked Old Indy. It just makes more sense if you see everything in a row instead of a wild mix of very young and young indy episodes.
 

Flannery10

New member
Oh, by the way. My review of this episode (based on the original with old indy bookends)

What a great episode! Even though I really like the action aspect in the series, I appreciate this episode being one that has very few action scenes in it and concentrates almost completely on the love story between Indy and Vicky.

Indy is in London to sign up for the Belgian army. During a bus trip he meets the suffrage woman Vicky Prentiss, who really impresses him by her passionate speeches in front of Indy's old private tutor Helen Seymour and Winston Churchill. But Indy has to leave for his first battle and he never sees her again (well, at least until 1992), which reminds me of the emotional ending. The ending was very emotional and gave me goosebumps.

The action is reduced to a minimum. The only real action scene is the zeppelin bombing, the rest is love story and woman suffrage facts.

I really like Margaret Tyzack, who plays Helen Seymour, since her portrayal of Indy's private tutor is extremely funny. For example:

Miss Seymour: I just received a letter from your dad. He's extremely worried and told me you wrote him you would join the Mexican Revolution. So, why are you here.
Indy (extremely proud): I came to join up.
Miss Seymour: That's the most ridicolous thing I've ever heard.

In this episode I also realized that Indy has a very special connection with Thomas "Ned" Lawrence. Ned seems to be like Indy's older brother, because Indy really wants to be like him.

The first part, Ireland 1916, is also very good and I heard it won an Emmy for the music. It really deserved that one but it also leaves me wondering why London 1916 didn't get nominated for one. The story is so emotional and is in some ways better than Ireland.

This is also the last episode Indy is a naive boy who has no idea what violence is. The next episode Somme 1916 is a very violent one, and Indiana finally finds out what war is all about.

Conclusion: Chapter 7 "Love's Sweet Song" is one of the best episodes of the whole Young Indiana Jones Chronicles and it's really worth seeing it!;)
 

VP

Moderator Emeritus
Flannery10 said:
My review of this episode (based on the original with old indy bookends)
Seems to me that you're reviewing the edited episode called Love's Sweet Song instead of the original episode 2: London, May 1916 which this thread is about and what you implied in the first sentence of your review.
 
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